Consolidated Tin Mines has revealed further details of its plans to start tin production in Queensland by the end of next year at the Mt Garnet project. The plan is based on the mining of ore from two of three main deposits, Gillian and Pinnacles. The Windermere deposit and other exploration areas will be further evaluated for future inclusion in the project plan. In order to minimise capital costs, the company is working to finalise an agreement with partner company Snow Peak to process the ore at an existing facility and is now seeking an off-shore partner to upgrade the concentrates using a rotary kiln.
The first three years mining at Gillian is expected to produce approximately 13,000 tonnes of tin-in-concentrate. Thereafter contained tin production will drop to 2,000 – 2,500 tpy as attention is focussed on Pinnacles, which could offer extra by-product revenues from calcium fluoride.
The rotary kiln roasting process proposed by the company is designed to produce a very high grade tin oxide fume product containing 68% to 72% Sn in concentrate. The roasting process is also expected to beneficiate the iron host rock to a very high grade magnetite with a grade of +65% Fe. The company will continue with test work and design for its proposed rotary kiln, with the intention of locating a suitable off-shore partner that will allow the company to locate and manage the tin fuming process on their (off-shore) site.
